1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method for treating waste. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a device and method which treats human and animal sewage, by way of increased biological processing, incineration and purification.
2. Related Art
Human and animal waste is commonly known as occurring in two types, i.e., black water, e.g., fecal waste, and grey water, e.g., waste from all sources other than that including fecal material. Applicants have made significant advances in the treatment of such waste as described in parent applications U.S. Ser. No. 08/901,295 filed Jul. 5, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,252 and U.S. Ser. No. 09/007,351 filed Jan. 15, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,452. The applications disclose devices for treating such waste using a plurality of interconnected tanks to receive waste and separate solids and liquids and treat the same to render environmentally acceptable bi-products. These systems primarily relied on incineration with the subsequent liquid and gas treatment.
Cost effective treatment of fecal solid material (hereinafter referred to as "large particulate waste") as well as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), bacteria, microbiological organisms, viruses, salts, phosphorous and nitrogen (hereinafter collectively referred to as "small particulate waste") remain a significant problem in the treatment of human and animal waste. While these prior innovations have improved waste treatment methods and apparatus, they require a relatively significant amount of energy and cost.
There remains a need to improve the method and device for treatment of human and animal waste in a more efficient manner. The present invention sets forth a device and method which meet these needs.